Australian Community Media (ACM) has announced significant job cuts across its network, with 35 positions set to be eliminated. Among these, six journalists will be laid off from The Newcastle Herald.
In addition, ACM will cease publication of eight regional newspapers nationwide. The final editions of the Inverell Times, Moree Champion, Tenterfield Star, Glen Innes Examiner, Country Leader, Dungog Chronicle, Gloucester Advocate, and Milton-Ulladulla Times will be printed on September 16.
Affected staff from these publications will either be reassigned to larger papers or face redundancy. ACM attributes the decision to a decline in government advertising and the withdrawal of Meta (Facebook’s parent company) from the media bargaining code, which previously saw the tech giant make payments to ACM for news content.